Located south of here on the Rappahannock River, stood Hunter's Iron Works, founded by James Hunter and was in operation by the 1750s. With the outbreak of the American Revolution, the Rappahannock Forge there supplied the Continental army and navy with muskets, swords, and other armaments and camp implements. Due to its wartime significance, Gov. Thomas Jefferson ordered special military protection for the complex. The ironworks contained a blast furnace, forge, slitting, merchant, and other mills, nailery, coopers', carpenters', and wheelwright shops and houses for the managers and workmen. Some of the buildings may have been used for other purposes into the 19th century: none survive today.
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